Of Harry Potter and Edward Cullen

It was a year ago this month that I read Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, all over the span of one weekend. One weekend. I spent that entire weekend cooped up inside, rejecting the prospect of going to the movies with friends, just so I can read read read read and read. I'm pretty sure I didn't properly eat that weekend either. It's safe to say the Twilight books had me mystified. I was obsessed. But with reason. Edward Cullen: moody, mysterious, virgin vampire? Be still my beating heart! It was at that same time that the movie was being filmed and I kept following it religiously. Fansites offered clips and pictures of the set and with the stars. Honestly, obsessed.  The movie came out, I was hugely disappointed (except for that kickass baseball scene while Muse plays on the soundtrack, and the last scene with Bella and Edward dancing under a gazebo while Iron and Wine's Flightless Bird, American Mouth played in the background).  However, even before the movie came out, my obsession with Twilight had dwindled considerably.  And now, a year later, it seems that EVERYONE is obsessed with Twilight. The movie converted an onslaught of new readers. I know a handful of people who are all about Twilight right now. And it's kind of annoying me, to be perfectly honest. People are claiming it the best book ever. And a comparison to Harry Potter was thrown in the mix.  First of all, the moment I started reading Twilight, I immediately concluded that Stephenie Meyer wasn't that great of an author. While enjoyable, Twilight isn't a magnificent prose or anything akin to 'genius literature'. But the minute I heard the J.K Rowling comparison I almost lost it.  I was never a fan of the Harry Potter series. I watched most of the movies (my brother loves them) but never read the books (until now). But I knew that Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga could never come up to par with J.K. Rowling's Hogwarts universe. No way. No how.  And now, as I've started on the Harry Potter series, and I'm on the fourth book, I stand by my previous statement.  How can they even utter J.K. Rowling in the same sentence as Stephenie Meyer? I'm not bashing Mrs. Meyer (not really, no) because I do respect her for writing such a famous series. But HONESTLY? Twilight's cliched. It is. Stephenie's just gone and twisted aspects of it so that it doesn't seem like your everyday cliche. Vampires and werevolves? Done and overdone.  But what Rowling did was create a completely different universe. You watch (or rather, read) how the protagonist grows up in each book. Seven freaking books, people! The Twilight series only expands over a period of two-three years (except for the last chapter of Breaking Dawn, I believe. I'm not sure. I haven't finished it yet. Don't have the strength to finish that terribly cliched last book) Okay, poor arguments. But, Stephen King said it waaay better: "The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can't write worth a darn. She's not very good," But my point is, Twilight, while enjoyable, is overrated. If people think this is proper literature, I fear for the fate of the world.

D'oh!

I've completely disregarded this blog for the past eight months. It's hard to believe that so much time has already passed. Because it sure as heck doesn't feel like eight months. 

A whole lot has happened since my last blog post. I moved to the Netherlands (the second hardest day of my life.), started college, had to get used to the weather around here (gimme a break, I've lived on an island where the weather consisted of sunny and scorching days a majority of the time!), living on my own, doing laundry and on my own, and making sure I eat properly (momma's task prior to moving here, sad to say).

It's been a heck of a ride, and despite a momentary lapse of judgement back in January when I was adamant on staying on Aruba (after having gone for the christmas holidays), I am really liking life here. Despite the horrible weather, I am really warming up to life here